Policy@Manchester Articles

Expert insight, analysis and comment on key public policy issues

Policy@Manchester Articles
Expert insight, analysis and comment on key public policy issues
aerial snapshot of Manchester

Health for wealth: The link between health inequalities and productivity in northern England

By Filed Under: All posts, Health and Social Care Posted:

Productivity in the UK, and particularly in the northern regions of England, has remained stubbornly low for decades, prompting economists to discuss a ‘productivity puzzle’. Here, Dr Luke Munford, explains how his research into health inequalities in northern England shows that investing in the health of the population could translate directly into substantial gains in […]

Plastics in the environment: Limiting the contamination of our rivers and oceans

Ian Kane By Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment Posted:

Much of the world’s plastic waste is still not disposed of responsibly, and it can now be found in all natural environments. Dr Ian Kane has focused his research on understanding the problem of microplastics in world oceans. In this blog, he tells us about some of the pathways plastics take to enter oceans and […]

COVID-19: What should transport and mobility responses be now and beyond?

By Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Urban Posted:

The measures we put in place around transport and mobility are critical to how we emerge from this pandemic and rebuild in the coming years. In this blog, Dr Ransford A. Acheampong examines how to make transport safe as some of the most vulnerable groups are returning to work, and shows that active travel is […]

Locked down by inequality: Why place matters for older people during COVID-19

Camilla LewisTine BuffelPatty Doran author headshot By , , , and Filed Under: Health and Care, Health and Social Care Posted:

Older people have borne the brunt of deaths from COVID-19, whether in hospital or in care homes. At the same time, the coronavirus emergency sits alongside a crisis in many of the communities in which older people live. In this blog, Chris Phillipson, Camilla Lewis, Tine Buffel, Patty Doran and Sophie Yarker examine how the […]

Build in haste, repent at leisure? Post-pandemic planning at the precipice

Iain White By , and Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Growth and Inclusion, Inclusive Growth Posted:

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to discussions on what shape planning should take post-crisis. Here, Prof Iain White, Prof Graham Haughton, and Dr Nuno Pinto outline how current regulations have exacerbated difficulties for some people in lockdown, discuss how opportunistic developers or politicians may seek to hijack the policy responses, and suggest solutions to ensure […]

Exterior of NHS building

Planning and managing service delivery in the NHS: looking to the future

By Filed Under: All posts, Health and Social Care Posted:

COVID-19 has reinforced the necessity of effective planning of health services, treatment and prevention capacities in primary and secondary care, and both protecting and optimising our healthcare workforce. Here, Professor Kath Checkland reflects on the renewed centrality of “commissioning” to health policy debates that will follow in the wake of the pandemic, and draws lessons from […]

Whose responsibility is it anyway? Resilience in children and young people’s mental health

By Filed Under: All posts, Health and Care Posted:

The lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has seen an increasing focus on mental health, particularly that of children and young people. In this blog, Dr Ola Demkowicz examines the emphasis on resilience in this age group, and suggests how policymakers can better support young people’s wellbeing, while moving away from placing the onus on […]

Prioritising play to promote wellbeing

By and Filed Under: All posts Posted:

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child Article 31 states children have the right to access play, rest and leisure. With the uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, play opportunities are vital to helping children make sense of their experiences, problem-solve, reconnect with their peers, and promote their own wellbeing. In this […]

Social media and mental health: Can we trust what we’re being told?

By Filed Under: Digital Futures, Health and Care Posted:

The COVID-19 pandemic, and the subsequent lockdown initiated in much of the world, has highlighted the crucial role of social media in social connectivity and news dissemination. In this blog, from our publication On Digital Trust, Dr Margarita Panayiotou explores whether social media is as bad for our mental health as we are led to […]

The ‘new normal’ for talking therapies after COVID-19: user-led, remote, informal and universal

By Filed Under: Health and Social Care Posted:

During the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health services are providing support remotely. In this blog, Dr Warren Mansell, Reader in Clinical Psychology, discusses the positive ways that services have adapted and how they can be sustained in the future. The COVID-19 crisis has put into stark relief a chronic, pre-existing problem with the provision of talking […]

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Articles give the views of the author, and are not necessarily those of The University of Manchester.

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